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I held out my hand and he shook it with a firm, dry grasp.
“I’m Elphyra. Your mother’s been kind to me since I moved in.” I motioned to the patio. “Would you like to sit down for a moment? Would you like some lemonade?”
He regarded me quietly for a moment, then nodded. “Thank you.” As he followed me, he asked, “What are you doing? I mean, with the planks.”
“I’m trying to build raised garden beds,” I said. “I probably should have done more research, but I thought it was a no-brainer. Frame a box, fill with dirt, plant herbs. I worked in a plant nursery, but I took care of the plants and didn’t have anything to do with the construction side of gardening.”
“I hate to tell you this, but there’s more to it than that,” Bran said with a laugh. “I’ve built them for our farm and if you want good results, there are a number of steps that I think you’re overlooking.”
“Of course there are,” I said with a grimace. “If I get the lemonade, can you fill me in on what I need to do?”
“You get the lemonade and I’ll help you build your beds.” He sat on one of the benches and leaned back, looking around. “You have a nice setup here. Cozy. I’ve always liked this cottage. I remember coming here for cookies and milk when Mrs. Jansen was alive. I would mow her lawn and help her with chores around the place.”
I headed into the kitchen and found a tray, then added two glasses and a pitcher of lemonade. I peeked in the fridge and grabbed a package of pecan rolls. I put two of them on dessert plates, then carried the tray back to the patio. I set it on the picnic table and motioned for him to join me.
“I hope you don’t think that I was hinting for help—I can do more research.”
“Consider me research,” Bran said, taking his place opposite of me at the table. “I’ll show you how to do it, in case next time I’m not around.”
I was stubborn, but gracious enough to accept help when it was offered. “Thank you. I’d appreciate that.” I poured him some lemonade and handed him one of the rolls. “So, you’re May’s son. She said you mainly work on your farm. Have you always lived there?”
He nodded. “Yes, I was born there. I grew up in Starlight Hollow and have never felt the urge to move anywhere else. The town has evolved over the years, but the important parts have stayed the same. Good people, mostly. We have a tight-knit community that rallies together when necessary. And it’s quiet here.” He paused, then added, “My mother said you’re from Port Townsend?”
I shrugged. “Yeah, I am. I had to get away, but I didn’t want to put too much distance between my mother and me. She has my aunt and cousin, but otherwise, our family’s scattered. My father died when I was young.”
“I’m sorry. My father died five years ago. He was over near Humptulips, hunting for mushrooms. Unfortunately, it was also deer season and a drunk hunter saw him moving in the bushes and shot him dead. The hunter was sentenced to twenty-five years in prison without being eligible for parole. But I guarantee you, the day he’s up for it, I’ll be there asking them to deny it. Carrying around a rifle while you’re belting back beers? Can you say ‘stupid’?”
I stared at my glass. “I didn’t know about that. May never mentioned it.” It was a kick in the pants—reminding me that I wasn’t the only one who had undergone tragedy. “How long were your parents married?”
“Let’s see. Forty-six years, I think. I was born on their sixteenth anniversary—February twenty-seventh. My mother and father didn’t think they were going to have children, then when she was forty, boom, I showed up. She jokes about me being their best-ever anniversary present.”
“So, your mother is—”
“Seventy-three. She doesn’t look it or act it, though.” He saluted me with his glass. “Here’s to the good memories. May they always outweigh the bad.”
“She’s active, all right.” I tapped my glass against his. “Hear, hear.”
After a moment, he sorted through my tools and materials. “Do you have black plastic to put down below to keep the weeds from sprouting up?”
I shook my head. “No, I didn’t realize I needed it.”
“You don’t, technically, but it’s going to help. I see you bought cedar planks for the sides?”
“Treated cedar,” I said. “Is that right?”
“The best next if you’re going with real wood. Do you have the soil yet?”
“No,” I said. “I was going to get it all set up, then enlist the help of a friend to help me lug the soil back. I can fit it in my SUV, but those bags areheavy.” I’d planned on roping Bree into helping. Shifters were always stronger than humans and magic-born, at least physically, and Bree liked physical activity more than I did. I was no slouch, but I wasn’t the let’s-rough-it-type.
“I’ll have you set up by afternoon, since everything is pre-cut to size. Then we can buy your soil—and the plastic—tomorrow if you like. I can spare the morning to help. Let me finish my drink and then I’ll take a look at what you have and see if you need any more supplies to start.”
He polished off his lemonade and, carrying the last of the pecan roll, he headed toward the garden plot. Not sure what to do, I followed him after shutting the lid on the pitcher so bees or any other bugs wouldn’t fly in.
I sat on the grass while he looked over the boards and the tools. The clouds continued to dissipate until the sky was bright blue, so bright that it almost hurt my eyes to look at it. A few white wisps of clouds drifted by as a light breeze sprang up. The wind was always blowing here, which I didn’t mind.
“Do you have a rubber mallet?” Bran asked.
“I have no idea. The utility shed’s over there and that’s where all the outdoor tools are.” I pointed to the shed. “It’s unlocked.”
